“Ted Cruz is campaigning aggressively to deny Marco Rubio any chance of a home state win in Florida’s Republican primary, in the hopes of knocking his rival out of the race so the Texan is left as the party’s sole challenger to billionaire Donald Trump.

Cruz’s associates said that the strategy could mean Cruz ends up playing the spoiler in a state where he’s polling in distant third place, ultimately set up a one-on-one showdown with Trump for the Republican nomination.

The campaign is doing what it sees as necessary to turn the Republican contest into a two-man race, said a senior adviser to Cruz who requested anonymity to speak candidly. That hardball approach includes trying to erode support for opponents such as Rubio, a first-term senator from Florida.

The campaign is doing what they feel is necessary to turn the Republican contest into a two-man race, said a senior adviser to the Texas senator who requested anonymity to speak candidly. That hardball approach includes boosting Cruz’s position by increasing his support, and by decreasing prospects for opponents such as Rubio.”